Field Excursions

Mesa Verde National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Southwestern Colorado. It is the ancestral homeland of many present-day Pueblo peoples whose communities are now located in New Mexico and Arizona. The park oversees more than 4,000 known archaeological sites. The cliff dwellings are some of the most notable and best preserved sites in the United States. Scholars will have the opportunity to spend four days touring major Puebloan sites including Cliff Palace and Balcony House and taking a behind-the-scenes curation tour.

Bandelier National Monument is located in northern New Mexico on the Pajarito Plateau. It encompasses over 33,000 acres of rugged but beautiful canyon and mesa country while protecting evidence of a human presence spanning over 11,000 years. Scholars will be introduced to petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls which pay tribute to the early days of cultures that still survive in the surrounding communities.

Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo is a Tewa-speaking Pueblo, named Pueblo de San Juan de los Caballeros by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. It is located just north of Santa Fe, New Mexico on the Rio Grande River. Scholars will visit both Ohkay Owingeh , a “living” pueblo and Yungé Owingeh located across the Rio Grande. The latter Pueblo was also built by the Tewa and then appropriated by the Spanish colonists in 1598 and designated the capital of the New Mexico colony. The capital was later moved to Santa Fe in 1608.

Santa Clara Pueblo is also a Tewa-speaking village located on the west bank of the Rio Grande, about 25 miles north of Santa Fe. It is one of the largest of 19 Pueblos in New Mexico. It too is considered a "living" pueblo and home to over 1200 residents, and skilled artisans. Scholars will have an opportunity to experience Pueblo life while interacting with Pueblo educators and scholars in both of these villages.

About the Institute

Our Mission

The mission of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is to empower present and future generations by making the human past accessible and relevant through archaeological research, experiential education, and American Indian knowledge.